


the two conditions

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Japanese Mythology, M/M, but they age up as it goes on, the fic starts with both of them being 5 yrs old
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-04 09:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3063419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they're five, Tooru bestows upon himself the title of Grand Prince because the world needs a Prince of Heaven and Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the two conditions

**Author's Note:**

> this is a ridiculous self-indulgent fic that combines my love for mythology with childhood iwaois although they will age up as the fic goes on. also a huge huge thank you to [bsod](http://blueshiftofdeath.tumblr.com/) who helped me with my trash japanese skills and basically everything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings for this chapter** : one of the characters becomes really sick (but he gets better)

Oikawa Tooru has lived with Iwaizumi Hajime since the age of four; they share a room in Tooru's Old Wise Grandmother's home but they're not of the same kin. Grandmother always tells them stories of how Hajime was born in a peach and how Tooru was born to a bird and they listen rapturously each time. Tooru knows it must be true for he's flighty and adventurous and bright like the morning birds. And Hajime bruises easily like a peach but he's tough on the inside like a peach seed. Peaches provide birds with strength and birds disseminate peach seeds; they work together just as Tooru and Hajime do. They eat together, help Grandmother prepare fish together, and trace the stars together.

But all fairytales have two conditions: an okimi to be and someone to save. So when they're five, Tooru bestows upon himself the title of Grand Prince because the world needs a Prince of Heaven and Earth. He grants Hajime the title of First Advisor and together they play in the fields nearby, enacting large magical battles complete with serpents and evil trees. And of course, a fairytale wouldn't be a fairytale if there was no one to save. 

\--

One day, Hajime gets sick, full with sneezing and red eyes. Tooru sits by his bed and watches him sleep for a while before Hajime wakes himself up with a coughing fit that racks his body until his blankets fall wayside. Tooru runs to get him a cup of water and then tucks him in again, making sure to pull the wool up to cover his ears; Hajime's ears always get cold, turning a pale red in the cold winter. He stays by Hajime's side the whole night while Hajime coughs and hacks and wheezes.

\--

"Iwa-chan, save me. Save me!" Tooru screams from where he's standing in the field, pointing his stick in a fighting stance while wearing a haphazard crown of flowers. Hajime pays no heed to him as he kneels over something a little away from Tooru. Tooru drops his stance and whines, "Iwa-chan, you're supposed to save your prince", when he sees no reaction. Hajime once again ignores Tooru, so Tooru decides to fight the war himself. He waves his stick in the air, play acting that he's fighting off a great water dragon with his magnificent sword. He fights and fights, but the great water dragon is too strong, so he falls down into the tall grass with a flourish and a scream. 

"Iwa-chaaaan, save me," Tooru pleads, lying in the dirt. Hajime finally looks up with a slight frown.

"Tooru?" 

Tooru puts his stick up in the air, waving it weakly, tired from his battle. Hajime makes his way over and Tooru closes his eyes, puts his sword stick diagonally over his chest, clasps his hands like he's lying in his coffin. Hajime comes to stand over him silently. Tooru opens an eye to peer up at him before he says dramatically, pout in full force, "Iwa-chan, I'm dead. You didn't save me."

\--

Hajime gets sicker. He looks pale and bloodless and his frame has shrunk. He only wakes up when he needs to cough and Tooru's scared that one day Hajime will wheeze his lungs out.

\--

"There's a grasshopper on your leg," Hajime says. Tooru springs up into sitting, his stick poking him in the chin before it falls to his side. He stares at the grasshopper with wide eyes and he feels scared. Well and truly scared. He tries to push the grasshopper off with his other leg, but ends up flinching away instead when it slightly moves. 

"Hold still," Hajime commands, leaning down to remove the bug from Tooru's foot. He walks a few feet away to set the grasshopper down on the dirt and Tooru watches him in awe. Hajime comes back and offers Tooru his hand. Tooru takes it with a brilliant, sunny smile.

"Thank you Iwa-chan."

Hajime cracks into his own bright grin. "You asked me to save you." 

\--

Hajime gets sicker. He only gets up for water and food now, but he's too tired to feed himself so Tooru helps him with small spoonfuls of fish stew. Tooru's Precious Iwa-chan is strong and fiery, full of life, not the shade he is now, so he decides to save Hajime. He waits for morning, packs a small rucksack of oranges. Tooru treks over the hills to the Sea of Red Reeds, with it's quiet black waters, plants that shriek in the wind that visits in the winter, and thick red mist that looks like a blood cloud. It's a forbidden sea; the other villagers talk of it in hushed whispers and the children are told to never go there. But Tooru is the Grand Prince of Heaven and Earth and the Sea of Red Reeds is a sea powerful enough to scare an entire village. It must be strong enough to rid Hajime of his sickness. He approaches the quiet banks bravely, kneeling down to whisper, "Please help me."

The Sea of Red Reeds stays still. Tooru thinks it must be because he wasn't majestic enough for a prince must act like one. He bellows, "I command you to help me", in his grandest voice. 

The Sea of Red Reeds stays still. Tooru tries a compromising tone for a prince must be able to negotiate like his Old Wise Grandmother does in the market. He says, "If you help me, I will help you."

A purple heron walks out of the mist. 

\--

"I'm Oikawa Tooru," Tooru greets with a smile, like his Old Wise Grandmother tells him to. The other boy looks at him like Tooru's an oni who's come down to smite the land before he says, "Iwaizumi Hajime."

"Iwachumi?" Tooru tries.

"Iwaizumi."

"Iwa-iwachu-"

"Iwaizumi," he repeats slowly, now looking like Tooru's wronged him greatly. Tooru wrinkles his nose in concentration, before triumphantly saying, "Iwa-chan", with a satisfied smile. That's the first time Tooru gets kicked by Iwaizumi Hajime. 

\--

The heron walks on the water, its long deep red neck held tall and king-like, its feathers long and white mixed with violet. Tooru stays frozen on the banks, watching it with wide eyes. It comes to stand a few feet in front of him; it's at least half a foot taller than him and it's the tallest, most majestic bird he's ever seen. It's yellow eyes look down, peering and examining and Tooru feels like the heron is looking at his past, present, and future. Then it squawks, once twice thrice, before talking in a raspy voice that sounds like it's been stolen. Tooru steps back, covering his ears, willing himself to not flee as fast as he can.

"Why have you come to me young one?" 

Tooru swallows hard and drops his hands, before he physically shakes himself to rid his fear; a prince must always be courageous, he thinks to himself. Tooru steps forward and says, "I want to save my friend."

"And what will you do for me?" the heron asks, it's small head tilting to one side.

"I-i'll do....," Tooru stalls, looking down at the rocks under his feet for an answer. What could a kingly purple heron want from him? Then Tooru remembers that he's a prince, so he says proudly, "I am the Prince of Heaven and Earth. I can fight." 

The heron runs towards him with its spindly stick legs with astonishing speed and Tooru scrabbles backwards before he falls down and he shrieks. It stops at his feet and says, "Then princeling, I will give you my quest. If you choose to accept, I will heal your friend. If you choose to decline, you will leave immediately," with a voice that's high, loud, and clear. It sounds like what a queen would sound like. 

Tooru nods eagerly and doesn't think twice before saying, "I accept."

The heron leans forward and pitches its head down so the top of its beak is level with Tooru's nose. "Bring me the bones of Mizuchi, the roots of Jinmenju, the wings of the Daitengu, and" - the heron pauses - "the core of your Heart."

"M-my heart?" Tooru whispers, clutching his shirt.

"No child," the heron intones impatiently, whipping its head back up into a regal posture. "Not your heart. Why would want that? It's young and whiny and would make my sea a bloody mess. No, I want your Heart," the heron says imperiously. 

"What's a Heart?" Tooru asks, spitting out the h just as the heron did.

The heron opens its wings and flaps once in a great gust of wind. Tooru curls into a ball, covering his face against the prickly air. The heron lands in the water and turns around swiftly, drifting away in the water. A deep sad voice that has the weight of an age, echoes back to Tooru. "The who what when where and why of what matters to you most. Your fire."

Tooru peers through his hands, watching the bird disappear into the mist. Then he feels the skin on his back burn and contort and it hurts, it _hurts_. Tooru feels like he's about to die and he screams and sobs.

"Do not forget our deal, Prince of Heaven and Earth," a quiet voice says softly in Tooru's ear where he's lying on the ground crying. His world goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next time: the great healing of iwa-chan 
> 
> i was honestly attempting to write iwaoi fluff and....i....came out with this....we just don't know
> 
> comments are most appreciated! or come talk to me about iwaoi/anything on [tumblr](http://naokanazakis.tumblr.com/).
> 
>  **Japanese terms:**  
>  okimi: term used for a king in the Kofun period (250 AD - 538 AD)  
> [jinmenju](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinmenju)  
> [daitengu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu)  
> [mizuchi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mizuchi)


End file.
